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Date

Re: Looking for lighted push buttons

 

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Yes those are it, thank you. I was trying to find them through a search and wasn¡¯t coming up with anything similar.?

Brent?


On Jan 14, 2022, at 1:44 PM, Kevin <kwhite6@...> wrote:

?

Just looked again at the video. He answered your question in the comments:

"I assume you are referring to the pushbuttons with the internal LED¡¯s in the yard ladder I showed in the first control panel video. Those came from and are an LP1-OA-1-A-G with the last letter indicating the LED color, in this case green. They are $2.12 for 10 or more but the price does continue to decrease with increasing volume. I just checked and they still have them."


Re: Looking for lighted push buttons

 

Just looked again at the video. He answered your question in the comments:

"I assume you are referring to the pushbuttons with the internal LED¡¯s in the yard ladder I showed in the first control panel video. Those came from and are an LP1-OA-1-A-G with the last letter indicating the LED color, in this case green. They are $2.12 for 10 or more but the price does continue to decrease with increasing volume. I just checked and they still have them."


Re: Looking for lighted push buttons

 

What about All Electronics or James Electronics?


On Fri, Jan 14, 2022 at 1:21 PM Kevin <kwhite6@...> wrote:
You can try:





The ones on adafruit may be too large for what you want. But digikey and mouser should have a large selection.



--
Steven C. Low, Executive Director
Flint Jewish Federation,
810 767-5922
810 406-9634 (cell)


Re: Looking for lighted push buttons

 

You can try:
mouser.com
digikey.com
adafruit.com


The ones on adafruit may be too large for what you want. But digikey and mouser should have a large selection.


Looking for lighted push buttons

 

Larry Puckett (the DCC Guy) has some videos on YouTube where he explains how to build control panels. On one of his yard panels, he uses a lighted push button that lights when pushed and indicates the route going into that track is lined. He does not mention where he purchased or who makes the push buttons. Has anyone used something similar or know a source for these?


They are shown at about the 7:30 mark.

Brent Johnson


Re: Digitrax PM 42

 

Cutting both rails or just the one ("common rail") is a choice rather than a necessity. It is worth researching, so that that choice is an informed one. Common rail works well for me. For a garden layout (such as I plan) every wire saved is important.

Wouter


On Fri, 14 Jan 2022 at 13:27, Blair <smithbr@...> wrote:

A jewelers saw, commonly used for cutting rail, will also do in a pinch, just be sure to go gently, or when the saw snags, as it will, you'll rip the rail out of the plastic ties.? If you don't own a Dremel, it's an expensive solution compared to a small saw.

Be sure to cut both rails to isolate districts.? You can't get away with just one cut, you need both cut.? And for reversing sections, the same thing applies.

Blair



On Jan 13, 2022, at 8:28 PM, Steven Tobias <srtobias29@...> wrote:

Hello

I am using the Digitrax PM 42 to segment 4 power sub-districts.?

My track is already down and soldered. I did not use plastic insulating rail joiners to separate the districts. Is this required? Do I have to pull up track?

Thanks,
Steven Tobias


Re: Digitrax PM 42

 

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Generic name for Super Glue


On Jan 14, 2022, at 8:10 AM, Steven Tobias <srtobias29@...> wrote:

Very helpful. Thank you. What is CA?

On Thu, Jan 13, 2022 at 11:24 PM Kurt Konrath via <kurt.konrath=[email protected]> wrote:
You need to separate each district.?

Plastic joiners work but if rail is down you can use thin fiber disk in Dremel tool to cut a thin gap.?

This gap can be filled with styrene glued in place with CA and filed to profile of rail. ?

It¡¯s but one way to gap rails.?

You don¡¯t have to pull track up to isolate rail districts.?

Kurt?


On Jan 13, 2022, at 8:28 PM, Steven Tobias <srtobias29@...> wrote:

Hello

I am using the Digitrax PM 42 to segment 4 power sub-districts.?

My track is already down and soldered. I did not use plastic insulating rail joiners to separate the districts. Is this required? Do I have to pull up track?

Thanks,
Steven Tobias


Re: Digitrax PM 42

 

Very helpful. Thank you. What is CA?

On Thu, Jan 13, 2022 at 11:24 PM Kurt Konrath via <kurt.konrath=[email protected]> wrote:
You need to separate each district.?

Plastic joiners work but if rail is down you can use thin fiber disk in Dremel tool to cut a thin gap.?

This gap can be filled with styrene glued in place with CA and filed to profile of rail. ?

It¡¯s but one way to gap rails.?

You don¡¯t have to pull track up to isolate rail districts.?

Kurt?


On Jan 13, 2022, at 8:28 PM, Steven Tobias <srtobias29@...> wrote:

Hello

I am using the Digitrax PM 42 to segment 4 power sub-districts.?

My track is already down and soldered. I did not use plastic insulating rail joiners to separate the districts. Is this required? Do I have to pull up track?

Thanks,
Steven Tobias


Re: Digitrax PM 42

 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

A jewelers saw, commonly used for cutting rail, will also do in a pinch, just be sure to go gently, or when the saw snags, as it will, you'll rip the rail out of the plastic ties.? If you don't own a Dremel, it's an expensive solution compared to a small saw.

Be sure to cut both rails to isolate districts.? You can't get away with just one cut, you need both cut.? And for reversing sections, the same thing applies.

Blair



On Jan 13, 2022, at 8:28 PM, Steven Tobias <srtobias29@...> wrote:

Hello

I am using the Digitrax PM 42 to segment 4 power sub-districts.?

My track is already down and soldered. I did not use plastic insulating rail joiners to separate the districts. Is this required? Do I have to pull up track?

Thanks,
Steven Tobias


Re: Digitrax PM 42

 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

You need to separate each district.?

Plastic joiners work but if rail is down you can use thin fiber disk in Dremel tool to cut a thin gap.?

This gap can be filled with styrene glued in place with CA and filed to profile of rail. ?

It¡¯s but one way to gap rails.?

You don¡¯t have to pull track up to isolate rail districts.?

Kurt?


On Jan 13, 2022, at 8:28 PM, Steven Tobias <srtobias29@...> wrote:

Hello

I am using the Digitrax PM 42 to segment 4 power sub-districts.?

My track is already down and soldered. I did not use plastic insulating rail joiners to separate the districts. Is this required? Do I have to pull up track?

Thanks,
Steven Tobias


Digitrax PM 42

 

Hello

I am using the Digitrax PM 42 to segment 4 power sub-districts.?

My track is already down and soldered. I did not use plastic insulating rail joiners to separate the districts. Is this required? Do I have to pull up track?

Thanks,
Steven Tobias


Re: Peco Electrofrog - dead leg

 

The key for soldering is speed.
If it takes longer that a second to make the joint, back off and try another technique.

I don't use resistance soldering, so have no idea how that works in real life.
Using a soldering iron, the correct solder is crucial.
Wrong solder:
can take too long to melt.
have acid flux (eats up wires and copper on boards).
not be best conductor.
hard to handle.

Also, more solder is not always better.?

Thomas
DeSoto, TX


Re: Peco Electrofrog - dead leg

 

Allan,
? I have a -few- Peco turnouts that have those wires.? They are all double slips.
If Peco has adopted an attitude/practice of "we'll do this for all turnouts" then
that helps anyone who is buying new.? I purchased my turnouts only about 2+
years ago and most of them do not have those wires.?
? I wish Peco would live up to their promise of "rolling out" (converting) to the
Unifrog method - they know how to do it but are dragging their feet on that
promise.? I might even replace all of my yet to be installed turnouts with the
Unifrogs ... but if they aren't available "across the line for all turnouts" I'm
probably not going to do that.? Probably.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?- Jim


Re: Peco Electrofrog - dead leg

 

Hi Jim,

Peco Electrofrogs, at least in recent history, has a wire attached to the frog that you can solder to, so that you don't have to solder to the frog.? Of course, the Electrofrog is being phased out for the Unifrog.? The tiny portion of the Unifrog that can be powered also has a wire for it.

For all you could wonder about Peco turnouts, visit my website at:??

Allan Gartner
Wiring for DCC


Peco Electrofrog - dead leg

 

Hi all,

? I was soldering feeders to an HO Peco Electrofrog turnout using resistance
soldering.? I kept the heat on it too long and heard a "sizzle".? Sure enough
when I checked with my meter one of the short legs off the frog is dead.? The
dead part of the turnout was the segment between the frog and the points
but I am certain that the solder joint that 'sizzled' was the one on the short
(non-points) end of that wire since right above it was where I was working.
? I was soldering the feeder(s) into the web of the rail on the outside of the
rail?where the wheel flanges run.

? There are two fairly small wires that bridge the frog and provide?the
power continuity - each is a little over an inch long (1.5?).? They are
spot soldered at the factory to the underside of the rails on both ends
and embedded in?the plastic that forms the frog.
? What happened is - I'm deducing - the heat broke (unsoldered) one of
those factory spot solder joints.

? So - be extra careful when soldering to the short rails on the 'inside' of
the?turnout (the side of the turnout that is away from the points).? If you
do break the contact you can fix it ... but you are not going to "like" it (it's
not going to be "pretty" and will require some 'contortion of your hands to
get to where you want to solder).

? I would also recommend that you try to solder feeders to your Electrofrog
(and?Insulfrog as well?) turnouts before you install them on the layout.? If
you are clever you can probably even figure out how to do that on the
underside of the turnout where the feeders won't show at all.
? On my layout all turnouts are gapped on all 6 legs - and insulating
joiners are used on all 6.? The reason why I'm doing this is because I
will be detecting occupancy of the turnouts and using that status to
prevent (minimize?) throwing the turnout under any equipment.? "If
it's occupied - don't throw."? This is being done using LCC - for both
the detection and the decision whether to actually throw or not.? Yes,
the push button for the "throw turnout" request is momentary.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?- Jim in the PNW (who learns something every day)


Re: Parallel track power busses

 

Do you have the ARs connected straight to the booster or after a circuit breaker? Some CBs are so fast that they trip before the AR can reverse polarity.

PSX-ARs are a great solution because they act as both a CB and AR. They can tell the difference between a polarity mismatch and a short.

Puckdropper

On Tue, Jan 11, 2022 at 07:47 PM, Greg Harter wrote:


Well.......The track polarities are all now matching, and the locos run
fine.......except......

.....for the reversing loops. I have two of them, and have circuit boards
that reverse the current if there is a mismatch when a loco enters the
loop. Worked fine with the EB3s, but not the PSX's. So...Tony's told me
to get a couple of PSX-ARs for that. So I will.

Thanks for all your help, guys.

Greg Harter


Re: Parallel track power busses

 

Well.......The track polarities are all now matching, and the locos run fine.......except......

.....for the reversing loops.? I have two of them, and have circuit boards that reverse the current if there is a mismatch when a loco enters the loop.? Worked fine with the EB3s, but not the PSX's.? So...Tony's told me to get a couple of PSX-ARs for that.? So I will.

Thanks for all your help, guys.

Greg Harter


Re: DCC system resets when accelerating locomotives

 

Phil T,

That's amazing! I've seen bad power cords, but in my experience, they've always worked well or failed (not connected.) I've never seen one that limited the load like yours. It would have taken me "forever" to find it, too!

Don Weigt
Connecticut

--
Don Weigt
Connecticut


Re: Parallel track power busses

 

Thanks for all the excellent advice.? I'm now going through each block to ensure polarity is aligned. ?

Greg Harter


Re: DCC system resets when accelerating locomotives

Phil T.
 

I wanted to thank everyone who gave me ideas on how to fix this! I made some changes based on your recommendations and have improved the layout, even though the problem still eluded me.

I went over to a friend's layout while his work crew was there, and one of them had a ton of experience with NCE Power Cabs. We ran my locomotive on the layout and it worked great. He took my Power Cab home, switched out and tested the parts, and was scratching his head trying to get to the cause. Then he tried to accelerate one of his engines, and it rebooted after accelerating a little. Then he switched the power cord that goes into the outlet. BINGO!!

His power cord worked on my PowerCab perfectly. I"ve ordered a new one and should be up and running DCC soon!

Again, thanks for all of the help.

Phil